JPS6385666A - electrophotographic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an electrophotographic apparatus using the so-called Carlson process for copying an image of a document surface onto plain paper.
In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new electrophotographic apparatus that can perform stable and good copying using a transfer conveyance unit including a transfer conveyance belt made of a semiconductor material capable of retaining electric charge.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In recent years, electrophotographic devices have become smaller and more sophisticated, but improvements in reliability and simplification of maintenance have become important issues.

An example of a conventional electrophotographic apparatus will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 9 shows a schematic sectional view of a conventional electrophotographic apparatus. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a cylindrical photoreceptor as an electrostatic latent image carrier, which rotates at a constant speed in the direction of arrow a. Reference numeral 12 denotes a charger, which is installed so as to face the photoreceptor 10. Reference numeral 14 denotes an optical section that exposes the photoreceptor 10 to light on the downstream side of the photoreceptor 10 with respect to the charger 12 . A developing device 16 is installed further downstream from the exposure position of the photoreceptor 1o and adjacent to the photoreceptor 10. 18 is copy paper as a transfer material. Reference numeral 20 denotes a paper feed section that supplies the copy paper 18. Reference numeral 22 indicates a transfer charger, and reference numeral 24 indicates a separation charge eliminator, which are installed so as to face the photoreceptor 10 in close proximity to each other. 26 is a conveying section, which is composed of a conveying belt 28, a driving roller 30, a driven roller 32, and a suction section 34,
The copy paper 18 is conveyed. 36 is a supporting and fixing part, which is connected to the conveying part 2.
6 is supported and fixed. A fixing device 38 fixes an image on the copy paper 18.

The operation of the electrophotographic apparatus configured as described above will be described below.

First, the photoreceptor 10 has an optical semiconductor layer such as Se on its surface and rotates at a constant speed in the direction of arrow a. After the surface is uniformly positively charged by the charger 12, the optical part 1
4, exposure is performed to form an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the original. The developing device 16 performs development using negatively charged toner to form a toner image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor 10. Here, the formation of a toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor 10 is performed by an electrostatic force acting between the positive charge on the surface of the photoreceptor 10 and the negative charge of the toner. The toner image formed on the surface of the photoconductor 10 is transferred to the photoconductor 10 by the paper feeding section 20.
The transfer charger 2 is transferred onto the copy paper 18 that is supplied in synchronization with the rotational speed of the transfer charger 2, which discharges a positive charge.
Step 2 is performed by positively charging the copy paper 18 passing over the transfer charger 22, and the positively charged copy paper 18 attracts negatively charged toner on the surface of the photoreceptor 10 by electrostatic force. . In order to always obtain stable transfer performance, the electrostatic force acting between the copy paper 18 and the toner must be greater than the electrostatic force acting between the surface of the photoreceptor 10 and the toner. In addition, the copy paper 18 charged by the transfer charger 22 not only attracts toner (also, an electrostatic force acts between it and the photoconductor 10, so that it also absorbs the toner). Because of the adsorption, it becomes necessary to separate the copy paper 18 from the photoreceptor 10 without disturbing the toner image transferred onto the copy paper 18. Therefore, the copy paper 18 is separated from the photoreceptor 10 by an alternating current discharge from the separation static eliminator 24 adjacent to the transfer charger 22. This is achieved by eliminating electricity from the paper 18, weakening the adhesion force between the copy paper 18 and the photoconductor 10, and further by the curvature of the cylindrical photoconductor 10 and the rigidity of the copy paper 18. The copy paper 18 is separated from the photoconductor 10. The copy paper 18 is separated from the photoconductor 10 by using the force of the transfer charger 22 to increase the amount of charge on the copy paper 18. It is known that increasing the discharge amount of the separation charger 24 in order to achieve sufficient discharge does not directly improve the transfer performance 2 separation performance; This is because the electric appliances 24 are installed adjacent to each other and have mutually contradictory effects, so they influence each other's effects.For example, in order to increase the static elimination ability of the separation static eliminator 24, the amount of discharge is increased. This certainly improves the separation performance of the copy paper 18 from the photoreceptor 10, but on the other hand, due to the effect of static elimination by the separation static eliminator 24, the amount of charge on the copy paper 18 by the transfer charger 22 is eliminated and reduced. (This results in a decrease in transfer performance.Also, if the amount of discharge is increased in order to increase the charging ability of the transfer charger 22, the amount of charge on the copy paper 18 will increase, and the transfer performance will certainly improve. However, on the other hand, the adsorption force between the copy paper 18 and the photoreceptor 10 also increases, requiring a greater static elimination ability and reducing the separation performance. Control must be performed to balance the copying performance and separation performance obtained in each discharge state, and setting the discharge amount is difficult.

By the way, as described above, the transfer charger 22 and the separation static eliminator 2
4, the toner image on the photoreceptor 10 is transferred to the photoreceptor 1.
The copy paper 18 separated from the copy paper 1
In order to obtain a conveyance force of 8, the copy paper 1 is transferred to the conveyor belt 28.
8 is conveyed to a fixing device 38 by a conveying section 26 constituted by a suction section 34 for suctioning 8, heated and pressurized,
After the toner image is fixed, the paper is ejected.

Now, considering the paper path through which the copy paper 18 passes, the copy paper 18 is supplied by a paper feed section 20, has a toner image transferred to it by a transfer charger 22, and is transferred to a photoreceptor 10 by a separation charge eliminator 24. The sheet is separated from the sheet, transported by the transport section 26, fixed by the fixing device 38, and ejected. The conveyance force for the copy paper 18 on the conveyance section 26 is obtained by suctioning the copy paper 18 from the inside of the conveyance belt 28 by the suction section 34. The conveying force of the copy paper 18 or the curled copy paper 18 is further reduced. Also,
Because the adsorption force of the copy paper 18 to the conveyor belt 28 is not sufficient, most of the copies are not made in the transfer 2-minute i and v9 feed sections from the time the copy paper 18 is supplied by the paper feed section 20 until it is fixed by the fixing device 38. Since the paper 18 is in a free state and each part is independent, it is not possible to control how the copy paper 18 behaves. Therefore, copy paper 18
When the copy paper 18 vibrates or an impact force is applied to the copy paper 18, the copy paper 1
If the toner image on 8 is disturbed, a paper jam occurs when the copy paper 18 enters the transfer charger 229, separation static eliminator 24, etc., or the copy paper 18 enters the conveyance section 26 or the fixing device 38, the specified It is easy for paper jams to occur without entering the machine.

Therefore, it is necessary to strictly control the settings of the separation static eliminator 24 and the fixing device 38 so that paper jams of the copy paper 18 are less likely to occur in the conveying section 26 at the junction with the separation static eliminator 24 and the fixing device 38. There is. In addition, in order to increase the area that the suction unit 34 suctions, the suction unit 34 has a large-scale structure,
The transport section 26 also has a thick structure (because it is thick, the transport section 26 is fixed by the support and fixing section 36, and the paper feed section 20 and the fixing device 38 are
It is impossible to attach and detach the transport section 26 as a unit without attaching and detaching the transfer section 26. Furthermore, since the conveyor belt 28 does not have a place where it comes into direct contact with toner, cleaning of the conveyor belt 28 is generally not performed. The conveyor belt 2 is damaged by toner falling from the conveyor belt 2.
8 may get dirty and stain the copy paper 18. (Reference Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; Recording materials and photosensitive materials Gakkai Publishing Center 23-32, etc.) Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, the above configuration has the following problems.

(1) The toner image is transferred onto the copy paper 18.
The transfer performance is largely dependent on the amount of charge on the copy paper 18 because the transfer is performed using an electrostatic force that acts between the toner and the charge on the copy paper 18. The amount of charge on the copy paper 18 varies greatly depending on the physical properties of the copy paper 18, such as its resistance, so it is sufficient if the physical properties of the copy paper 18 can be kept constant at all times. Each type of copy paper 18 has its own unique physical properties.Furthermore, even if copy paper 18 of the same type has the same physical properties, if the environment changes (particularly a change in humidity), the copy paper 18 will change accordingly. Because the physical properties also change, it is not possible to keep the amount of charge on the copy paper 18 constant for various copy papers 18 and under various environments without changing the amount of discharge from the transfer charger 22. However, Although it is possible to some extent to vary the discharge amount of the transfer charger 22 in accordance with the physical properties of the copy paper 18 in order to keep the amount of charge on the copy paper 18 constant, the structure becomes complicated and it is not practical. In practice, this is not done because there are times when the transfer performance changes and there are cases where it is not possible to follow up with just that.As a result, the transfer performance changes due to changes in the copy paper 18 or environmental conditions, making it difficult to always obtain stable transfer performance. The problem is that it cannot be done.

(2) The separation force that separates the copy paper 18 from the photoreceptor 10 is
Since the separation performance is obtained by the rigidity of the copy paper 18, the stiffness of the copy paper 18 is influenced by the stiffness of the copy paper 18.The stiffness of the copy paper 18 varies depending on the type of copy paper 18. However, in the case of the copy paper 18 having low rigidity, it is not possible to obtain sufficient separation force to separate the copy paper 18 from the photoreceptor 10, and the separation is considered to be poor. As a result, the separation performance changes and there is a point where separation failure occurs.

(3) The transfer charger 22 and the separation static eliminator 24 are installed adjacent to each other and have contradictory actions, so they influence each other's actions. Therefore, the amount of discharge of the transfer charger 22 and the separation static eliminator 24 must be controlled to balance the transfer performance and separation performance obtained in each discharge state. This balance point depends on the type of copy paper 18.

Since conditions such as changes in environmental conditions overlap, the range for balancing them is very narrow, and it is extremely difficult to adjust the discharge amounts of the transfer charger 22 and the separation static eliminator to a balance point, and it requires adjustment skills and a lot of effort. (This method has the problem of requiring adjustment time.)

(Bleeding) The copy paper 18 on the conveyance section 26 does not have sufficient conveyance force, so it is difficult to carry paper 18 on the conveyance belt 28 because it is rigid and requires a large conveyance force when it enters the fixing device 38 due to its small shape. There is a problem in that the copy paper 18, which can only obtain a conveyance force, cannot be conveyed to the fixing device 38.

(5) On the paper path through which the copy paper 18 passes, the copy paper 18
is supplied by the paper feed section 20 and is mostly in a free state until it is fixed by the fixing device 38. Furthermore, since the transfer, separation, and conveyance sections are independent, it is not possible to control the behavior of the copy paper 18, which may cause disturbances in the toner image on the copy paper 18 or the copy paper. However, there is a problem in that 18 yen jams occur.

(6) The conveyance section 26 is fixed by the support fixing section 36, and the conveyance section 26 alone cannot be attached or detached without attaching or detaching anything other than the conveyance section 26. Therefore, for example, when replacing parts such as the conveyance belt 28, The problem is that maintainability is very poor.

In particular, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems.
In view of the problem that the toner image on the copy paper 8 is easily disturbed, the copy paper 18 is easily jammed, and maintenance is poor, a
To provide an electrophotographic apparatus that can always obtain stable paper passing performance without causing disturbance of toner images on copy paper 18 or paper jams of copy paper 18, and has improved maintainability such as parts replacement. It is.

Means for Solving the Problems The electrophotographic apparatus of the present invention includes an electrostatic latent image carrier that forms an electrostatic latent image for holding charged toner, and a charge applied to the electrostatic latent image carrier. a charging device for exposing the charged electrostatic latent image carrier to an image on the document surface; 1. a developing means for supplying charged toner to an electrostatic latent image corresponding to a printed surface image; and a transfer material supplying means for supplying a transfer material onto which the toner image is transferred toward the electrostatic latent image carrier. , a transfer means for transferring the toner image onto a transfer material, and the transfer means has an electric resistance of 10
An endless transfer conveyance belt having a portion made of a semiconductor material of 10 to 1013 Ωcm, a belt charging means for applying an electric charge of a polarity opposite to that of the toner to the transfer conveyance belt, and a means for driving the transfer conveyance belt. a support means for integrally supporting the transfer conveyance belt and the drive means to form a transfer conveyance unit; and an urging means for urging the transfer conveyance unit against the transfer conveyance belt. The biasing means biases the transfer conveyance unit against the electrostatic latent image carrier to form a proximal portion between the transfer conveyance belt and the electrostatic latent image carrier, and near the proximal portion. By configuring the transfer conveyance belt to be electrically charged by the belt charging means, the toner particles on the electrostatic 1U image bearing member are electrostatically transferred onto the transfer material, and For biasing the transfer conveyance unit against the latent image carrier, an elastic force imparting means for substantially offsetting the weight of the transfer conveyance unit is provided, so that the biasing means is required to bias the transfer conveyance unit. This is designed to reduce the urging force.

According to the above-described structure, the belt charging means is attached to a portion of the transfer conveyance belt made of a semiconductor material having an electrical resistance of 1010 to 1013 Ωcm in the vicinity of the vicinity of the electrostatic latent image carrier and the transfer conveyance belt. By applying an electric charge, the transfer material fed by the transfer material supplying means (without directly applying an electric charge to the transfer material) can be transferred by electrostatic attraction between the polarized charge caused by electrostatic induction of the transfer material and the true charge of the transfer conveyance belt. The transfer material is attracted and conveyed onto the transfer conveyance belt.The toner is transferred by applying an electric charge to the transfer conveyance belt by the belt charging means to be opposite to the electric charge held by the toner on the electrostatic latent image carrier. In other words, the electrostatic attraction between the charges on the transfer conveyance belt and the charges on the toner attracts the toner toward the transfer conveyance belt, and the toner is attracted onto the transfer material adsorbed on the transfer conveyance belt. transcribed.

In addition, since the transfer material does not have a true charge and is attracted onto the transfer conveyance belt by polarized charges, there is no need to remove static electricity from the transfer material when separating the electrostatic latent image carrier from the transfer material, and in addition, the above-mentioned The electrostatic adsorption force between the transfer material and the transfer conveyance belt acts as a forcing force that separates the transfer material from the electrostatic latent image carrier, making it difficult for conventional electrophotographic devices that rely only on the rigidity of the transfer material. The separation of the transfer material is more stable compared to the conventional method.

Further, the present invention integrates various parts that perform the transfer, separation, and conveyance functions of transferring the toner image on the electrostatic latent image carrier to a transfer material, and separating and conveying the transfer material from the electrostatic latent image carrier. By using a transfer conveyance unit, the passage of the transfer material can be simplified, and the behavior of the transfer material on this transfer conveyance unit can be controlled, so that the toner image on the transfer material is not disturbed on this passage. , it is possible to always obtain stable conveyance performance without causing poor conveyance of the transfer material.

Furthermore, in order to bias the transfer conveyance unit against the electrostatic latent image carrier, since an elastic force imparting means is provided that substantially offsets the weight of the transfer conveyance unit, the necessary biasing force can be reduced. This allows the structure to be simplified.

EXAMPLE Hereinafter, an electrophotographic apparatus according to an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an electrophotographic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a cylindrical photoreceptor as an electrostatic latent image carrier, which rotates at a constant speed in the direction of arrow a. Reference numeral 12 denotes a charger, which is installed so as to face the photoreceptor 10. Reference numeral 14 denotes an optical section that exposes the photoreceptor 10 to light on the downstream side of the photoreceptor 10 with respect to the charger 12 . A developing device 16 is installed further downstream from the exposure position of the photoreceptor 10 and adjacent to the photoreceptor 10 . 18 is copy paper as a transfer material. 20 is a paper feed section, which receives copy paper 18;
It is intended to supply 48 is a transfer conveyance unit. Reference numeral 50 denotes a transfer conveyance belt, which is brought into pressure contact with the photoreceptor 10 and driven in one direction. 52 is a drive shaft, and 54 is a separation shaft, which is a driving means for stretching and driving the transfer conveyance belt 50. The separation shaft 54 also eliminates static electricity from the transfer conveyance belt 50.

Reference numeral 56 denotes a transfer shaft, which is located near the position where the photoreceptor 10 and the transfer conveyance belt 50 come into contact (hereinafter referred to as the transfer position). 58 is 2
This is a charger, and is installed so as to sandwich the transfer conveyance belt 50 and face the photoreceptor 10 at the transfer position. 60
61 is a transport board serving as a support means, and 61 is a moving board serving as a support means. 62 is a cleaning section;
Clean the transfer conveyance belt. A support plate 64 is provided on the main body side and supports the transfer conveyance unit 48. A fixing device 38 is installed on the downstream side of the transfer conveyance unit in the path of the transfer paper 18.

The operation of the electrophotographic apparatus configured as described above will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

First, an explanation will be given with reference to FIG.
It rotates at a constant speed in the direction.

After the surface is uniformly positively charged by the charger 12, exposure is performed by the optical section 14 to form an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the original. The developing device 16 performs development using negatively charged toner to form a toner image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoreceptor 10. Here, the formation of a toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor 10 is performed by an electrostatic force acting between the positive charge on the surface of the photoreceptor 10 and the negative charge of the toner. The copy paper 18 is fed by the paper feed section 20 toward the transfer conveyance belt 50 in synchronization with the rotational speed of the photoconductor 10, and after reaching the transfer conveyance belt 50, it is transferred to the photoconductor 10 along the transfer conveyance belt 50. It is supplied to the transfer position where the conveyor belt 50 is in contact. The transfer conveyance unit 48 transfers the toner image formed on the surface of the photoconductor 10 to the copy paper 18 that has reached the transfer position, separates the copy paper 18 from the photoconductor 10, and further conveys the copy paper 18. This section explains the principles of transfer, separation, and transportation.

The transfer conveyance belt 5o has a resistivity of 1 QIO~1013
It is an endless belt made of a semiconductor material ΩCff1, and is stretched by a drive shaft 52 supported by a conveyance board 60 and a moving board 61, a separation shaft 54, and a transfer shaft 56. The static electricity is removed by the drive shaft 52.
The driving force is transmitted and driven, and on the No. 2 charger 58,
Positive charges are injected by the discharge of the second charger 58. The transfer conveyance belt 50 injected with positive charge forms an electric field due to the electric charge, and generates polarization in the copy paper 18 supplied between the transfer conveyance belt 50 and the photoreceptor 10, and the copy paper 1
Negative charges are polarized on the transfer conveyance belt 50 side of No. 8, and positive charges are polarized on the photoreceptor 10 side. Here, copy paper 1
The positive polarized charge on the photoreceptor 10 side of 8 attracts the negative charge of the toner on the surface of the photoreceptor 10 by electrostatic force, and the copy paper 1
Transfer the toner image onto 8. In order to always obtain stable transfer performance, the electrostatic force acting between the copy paper 18 and the toner must be greater than the electrostatic force acting between the surface of the photoreceptor 10 and the toner. The amount of polarized charge on the copy paper 18 is determined by the amount of charge injected into the transfer conveyance belt 50, the amount of charge injected into the transfer conveyance belt 50, the amount of charge on the copy paper 18 and the transfer conveyance, regardless of the physical properties such as the resistance value and thickness of the copy paper 18. Adhesion of the belt 50,
It is always constant regardless of differences in the physical properties of the copy paper 18. In other words, regardless of the type of copy paper 18 and the environment in which the copy paper 18 is placed, stable transfer performance can always be obtained. An electrostatic force acts between the photoreceptor 10 and the copy paper 18, and the copy paper 18 tries to adhere to the photoreceptor 10.On the contrary,
Negative polarization charge on the transfer conveyance belt 50 side of the copy paper 18;
Electrostatic force also acts between the positive charge injected into the transfer conveyance belt, and the copy paper 18 tends to adhere to the transfer conveyance belt 50. Therefore, copy paper 18 and transfer conveyance belt 5
It is possible to always make the electrostatic force of 0 larger than the electrostatic force between the copy paper 18 and the photoreceptor 10 by ensuring the close contact between the copy paper 18 and the transfer conveyance belt 50.
The copy paper 18 can be separated from the photoreceptor 10 and transported while remaining attached to the transfer transport belt 50. In other words, stable separation performance can always be obtained regardless of the rigidity of the copy paper 18. Furthermore, since the copy paper 18 is electrostatically attracted to the transfer conveyance belt 50, the behavior of the copy paper 18 on the transfer conveyance belt 50 is as follows.
The copy paper 18 remains in close contact with the transfer conveyance belt 50 and does not float off the transfer conveyance belt 50 (the copy paper 18 does not vibrate on the transfer conveyance belt 50 or apply impact force to the copy paper 18, and the copy paper The toner image on the copy paper 18 will not be disturbed, and no paper jam will occur.Furthermore, since the copy paper 18 is in close contact with the transfer conveyance belt 50, the conveyance force of the copy paper 18 is extremely large. This also makes it possible to convey official postcards, etc. When the copy paper 18 is conveyed from the transfer position to the fixing device 38, it must be separated from the transfer conveyance belt 50 before the fixing device 38. The position where the copy paper 18 is separated from the transfer conveyance belt 50 (
(hereinafter referred to as the separation position), since the transfer conveyance belt 50 is made of a semiconductor material, the No. 2 charger 58
Compared to the amount of charge at the transfer position when injected by ■At the separation position, the transfer conveyance belt 50
Since the separation shaft 54 is in contact with the separation shaft 54 and the surface of the separation shaft 54 is conductive and grounded, the transfer conveyance belt 50 is neutralized, and the transfer conveyance belt 50 and the copy paper 10 are attracted by the electrostatic force. ■ On the downstream side of the separation position, the transfer conveyance belt 50 has a thick curvature (changes) along the separation axis 54, so the rigidity of the copy paper 18 is used to move the copy paper 1
8 can be separated from the transfer conveyance belt 50. The above actions ■ to ■ work, and the transfer conveyance belt 5
0 and the copy paper 10 become weaker, and the copy paper 18
Since a separation force acts to separate the copy paper 18 from the transfer conveyance belt 50, the copy paper 18 is naturally separated from the transfer conveyance belt 50 and is conveyed to the fixing device 38. Here, before the separation position, the force with which the transfer conveyance belt 50 attracts the copy paper 18 becomes weaker, but it is still sufficiently strong, so that the behavior of the copy paper 18 and the conveyance force are not affected. and fuser 38
The copy paper 18 conveyed to is fixed and ejected. Also,
The transfer conveyance unit 48 includes a transfer conveyance belt 50 , a drive shaft 52 that stretches and drives the transfer conveyance belt 50 , a separation shaft 54 that stretches the transfer conveyance belt 50 and removes static electricity, and a separation shaft 54 that stretches and drives the transfer conveyance belt 50 . a transfer shaft 56 for eliminating static electricity and ensuring pressure contact between the transfer conveyance belt 50 and the photoreceptor 10;
A No. 2 charger 58 for injecting charges into the transfer conveyance belt 50, a cleaning section 62 for cleaning the transfer conveyance belt 50, and a transfer conveyance belt 50 connected to the photoreceptor 1.
A push-up section 63 that pushes up the transfer conveyance unit 48 in order to press the transfer conveyance unit 48 to 0, supports the transfer conveyance belt 50, the drive shaft 52, the separation shaft 54, the transfer shaft 56, the No. 2 charger 58, the cleaning section 62, and the push-up section 63. The transfer board 60 and the moving board 61 transfer the 1-toner image on the photoreceptor 10 to the copy paper 18, and transfer the copy paper 18 from the time the copy paper 18 is fed by the paper feed section 20 until it is fixed by the fixing device 38. , is an integrated unit that conveys copy paper 18, and supports a support plate 6 installed in the main body by a support bearing 112.
4 and is supported in a removable manner. When the photoreceptor 10 rotates and performs a copying operation and the copy paper 18 is supplied, the transfer conveyance belt 50 is brought into contact with the photoreceptor 10 by the push-up force received from the main body by the push-up portion 63 to the transfer conveyance unit. 48, and after the copying operation is completed and the copy paper 18 has been conveyed, the transfer conveyance belt 5
0 leaves the photoreceptor 10. This is to keep the photoreceptor 10 and the transfer conveyance belt 50 as far apart as possible, since if the transfer conveyance belt 50 is in constant contact with the photoconductor 10, the surface of the photoconductor 10 may change in quality due to mechanical damage caused by pressing. It is. In addition, when removing the transfer conveyance unit 48 from the support plate 64 supporting the main body, the fulcrum 1
After opening the photoreceptor 10, the developing device 16, etc. in an alligator manner centering on the photoreceptor 10, the transfer conveyance unit 48 can be removed.

Next, a detailed explanation of each part will be given with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

First, regarding the support method of supporting the transfer conveyance unit 48 with the support plate 64, there is shown a schematic cross-sectional view in FIG. 1, a detailed view of the transfer conveyance unit 48 in FIG. 2, and FIG. 3.

This will be explained with reference to a detailed view of the support portion of the transfer conveyance unit 48 in FIG. Here, the transfer conveyance unit 48 includes a support bearing 11 to support the separation shaft 58 to the moving substrate 61.
This support bearing 112 has a flange portion and an H-cut portion having an H-shaped outer circumference. The support plate 64 is provided with the H of the support bearing 112.
A hole with the same diameter as the long side of the cut part and a groove having a width through which the long side passes but not the short side are cut. Further, the support bearing 112 is attached obliquely to the moving board 61. Here, with the alligator opened (dotted chain line in FIG. 1), the short width part of the support bearing 112 can be inserted into the support plate 64 in the direction of the arrow while tilting the transfer conveyance unit 48. After the transfer is completed, the transfer conveyance unit 48 is moved around the support plate 64 (which is concentric with the perforated support bearing 112).
When the drive shaft 52 side is rotated in the direction of pushing down, the groove of the support plate 64 and the H-cut part of the support bearing 112 become diagonal, and the support bearing 112 cannot be removed even if it is pushed up in the opposite direction of the arrow. , the transfer conveyance unit 48 is transferred to the support plate 64.
The support can be fixed. If the transfer conveyance unit 48 is to be removed here, the process may be performed in the reverse order. By supporting and fixing the transfer conveyance unit 48 as described above, the transfer conveyance unit 48 can be easily attached and detached, and moreover, it can be firmly attached.

Next, regarding the method of attaching the No. 2 charger 58 and the No. 2 charger 58 to the transfer conveyance unit 48, the schematic sectional view in FIG. 1, the detailed view of the transfer conveyance unit 48 in FIG. 2, and the method shown in FIG. This will be explained with reference to a cross-sectional view of the No. 2 charger 58 when it is installed.

The No. 2 charger 58 is a charger that injects positive charge into the transfer conveyance belt 50, and includes a wire 160 for corona discharge, block (1) 162, block (2) 164, and wire 160 for fixing the wire 160. house 166 that determines the discharge efficiency of block (1) 162 (
11 to push the house 166 vertically upward,
and a positioning spring 170 for grounding the house 166. Further, on the transfer board 60, there is a block receiver 1 for positioning the block (2) 164.
78 are installed. Here, the No. 2 charger 58 can be easily attached and detached from the transfer conveyance unit 48 so that cleaning can be easily performed when the wire 160 becomes dirty. 2 from the installed state (Fig. 7)
When removing the charger 58, first remove the block (1).
162 in the direction of arrow C.

Then, the positioning spring 170 contracts, the removal stop formed by the transport board 60 and the house 166 comes off, and the No. 2 charger 58 can be pulled out in the direction of arrow d.
8 can be removed from the transfer conveyance unit 48.

However, even if the No. 2 charger 58 is pulled in the direction of arrow d without pushing down the block (1) 162 in the direction of arrow C, it cannot be pulled out due to the stopper. Next, the uninstalled state (
When attaching the No. 2 charger 58 from FIG. , the block (2) 16 enters the hole drilled in the block receiver 178 attached to the transfer board 60.
4. Perform vertical and horizontal positioning. When it is further inserted, it is pushed vertically upward by the positioning spring 170, and the removal stop provided in the house 166 of the No. 2 charger 58 is engaged, completing the installation. Although the second charger 58 can be easily attached and detached from the transfer conveyance unit 48 by a so-called two-wheel slide attachment method, it is firmly attached when attached.

Next, regarding the cleaning section 62 and the method of attaching the cleaning section 62 to the transfer conveyance unit 48, the schematic sectional view in FIG. 1, the detailed view of the transfer conveyance unit 48 in FIG. 2, and the transfer conveyance unit in FIG. The explanation will be given with reference to a schematic cross-sectional view of the transfer unit 48 and a side view of the transfer conveyance unit 48 in FIG.

The cleaning section 62 is for cleaning foreign matter such as toner on the transfer conveyance belt 50, and includes a blade 130 that directly cleans the transfer conveyance belt 50 and a cleaning substrate 132 that holds the blade 130 so as to be able to move toward and away from the transfer conveyance belt 50. and a blade lever 134 that moves in conjunction with the movement of the blade 130 toward and away from the transfer conveyance belt 50.
and a spring 136 that applies pressure contact force to the blade lever 134 so that the blade 130 is in pressure contact with the transfer conveyance belt 50, a discharge toner box 138 that stores the toner cleaned by the blade 130, and the toner removed from the cleaning section 62. Pad 14 to prevent splashing
0 and is in contact with the back surface of the transfer conveyance belt 50 (on the side opposite to the blade 130) and is attached to the conveyance substrate 60. It is configured to face a back plate 144 via a transfer conveyance belt. Here, the blade 130, which receives the pressing force constantly applied by the spring 136 via the blade lever 134, is constantly pressed against the transfer conveyance belt 50 and cleans the transfer conveyance belt 50. Here, in order to prevent the blade 130 from biting into the transfer conveyance belt 50 too much, the amount of biting is controlled by a stopper constituted by a blade lever 134 and a cleaning board 132, so that the blade 130 does not bite into the transfer conveyance belt 50 more than a specified amount. The toner cleaned by the blade 130 is collected in a discharge toner box 13 provided below the blade 130.
8 and accumulates. The discharge toner box 138 is
It can be attached to and removed from the cleaning board 132 in a sliding manner, and when the toner in the discharge toner box 138 is full, it can be removed from the cleaning board 132 and the discharge toner box 138 after discarding the toner or a new discharge toner box 138 can be installed. Cleaning board 13 again
It is now possible to attach it to 2. Blade 13
The toner cleaned by the cleaning part 62 does not all fall into the discharge toner box 138 instantly (it floats near the blade 130 and scatters to the outside. Therefore, the gap between the cleaning part 62 and the outside is filled with a pad. 140
This prevents toner from scattering to the outside. Further, the back pad 142 moves the transfer conveyance belt 5o from the back side of the transfer conveyance belt 5o to the blade 130 side.
This has the effect of pressing the blade 130 and improving the cleaning performance, and also prevents abnormal noise caused by sliding between the blade 130 and the transfer conveyance belt 50. back plate 1
44 is a blade 1 that connects the transfer conveyance belt 50 from the back side of the transfer conveyance belt 50 immediately upstream of the pressure contact position of the blade 130.
30 side, the cleaning performance is improved by increasing the drag force on the transfer conveyance belt 50 against the blade 130 at the pressure contact position of the blade 130. The cleaning section 62 includes a blade 130
It can be easily attached and detached from the transfer conveyance unit 48 for purposes such as replacement. First, in order to remove the cleaning unit 62 from the attached state (FIG. 6), the moving board 61 is rotated in the direction of the arrow g on the transport board 60, and then the cleaning unit 62 is moved in the direction of the arrow i. It can be removed by When installing, with the movable board 61 rotated in the direction of the arrow g relative to the transport board 60, the cleaning part 62 is inserted in the groove provided in the cleaning board 132 into the hook provided on the transport board 60 in the direction indicated by the arrow i. It is inserted in the opposite direction and fixed to the transfer conveyance unit 48, and then the movable substrate 61 is rotated in the direction opposite to the arrow g with respect to the conveyance substrate 60 to prevent removal. In this way, the cleaning section 62 can be easily attached and detached from the transfer conveyance unit 48.

Next, details of the push-up portion 63 will be explained with reference to a schematic sectional view in FIG. 1, a detailed view of the transfer conveyance unit 48 in FIG. 2, and a schematic diagram of the push-up portion 63 of the main body in FIG.

In order to prevent deterioration of the surface of the photoreceptor 10, when the photoreceptor 10 rotates to perform a copying operation and copy paper 18 is supplied, the push-up portion 63 pushes up the transfer conveyance unit 48, and causes the transfer conveyance belt 50 to touch the photoreceptor 10. After the copying operation is completed and the copy paper 18 has been conveyed, the transfer conveyance belt 50 is moved away from the photoreceptor 10 and separated. The push-up section 63 is provided with a push-up lever 184 that rotates in conjunction with an i-magnetic plunger 182 and an electromagnetic plunger 182 installed in the main body, a push-up spring 186 that constantly pushes up the transfer conveyance unit 48, and the transfer conveyance unit 48. , a push-up plate (1) that receives the force of the push-up lever 184
) 188 and a push-up plate (2) 190 that receives the force of the push-up spring 186. Here, when starting a copying operation, a signal is input to the electromagnetic plunger 182, and the electromagnetic plunger 182 is turned on. In conjunction with this, the push-up lever 184 rotates, transmits its rotational force to the push-up plate (1) 188, and transfers and conveys unit 48
is pushed up, and the transfer conveyance belt 50 is positioned at the push-up position where it is brought into pressure contact with the photoreceptor 10. Push-up spring 18
6 applies the pushing up force of the transfer conveyance unit 48 to the pushing up plate (2) 190, but the pushing up spring 186
The push-up force caused by the push-up spring 186 is a push-up force that balances the weight of the transfer conveyance unit 48.
Although it is not possible to push up the transfer conveyance unit 48 by the push-up force alone, there is an advantage that the push-up force by the push-up lever 184 can be reduced. The stroke that can be pushed up by the push-up lever 184 is sufficiently large.This is done in consideration to ensure that the transfer conveyance unit 48 can always be pushed up completely even if dimensional errors occur in parts. The stroke difference that occurs here is absorbed by the push-up plate (1) 188, which is an elastic body, so that the transfer conveyance unit 48 can always be reliably pushed up to the push-up position.

Next, regarding the procedure for replacing the transfer conveyance belt 50,
This will be explained with reference to a schematic cross-sectional view in FIG. 1, a detailed view of the transfer conveyance unit 48 in FIG. 2, and a side view of the transfer conveyance unit 48 in FIG. Here, the transfer conveyance belt 50 is normally used as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

As shown in FIG. 6, a drive shaft 52, a separation shaft 54, a transfer shaft 56
However, it may need to be replaced at the end of its service life. Here, when the movable substrate 61 is rotated in the direction of arrow g with respect to the transfer substrate 60, the retainer for removing the cleaning section 62 is released and the cleaning section 62 is removed from the transfer transfer unit 48.
can be removed, and the tension on the transfer conveyance belt 50 to which tension has been applied up to now can be removed. The transfer conveyance belt 50, which has no tension, can be easily removed from the transfer conveyance unit 48. Conversely, when the transfer conveyance belt 50 is attached to the transfer conveyance unit 48, it can be moved relative to the conveyance substrate 60. With the substrate rotated in the direction of arrow g, the transfer conveyance unit 48 is inserted into the transfer conveyance belt 50, and then the movable substrate 61 is rotated in the opposite direction to the arrow g with respect to the conveyance substrate 60, and stretched onto the transfer conveyance belt 50. The tension applied to the transfer conveyance heald 50 in this way is applied by rotating the movable substrate 61 with respect to the transfer substrate 60, so that the transfer conveyance belt 50 can be easily attached and detached from the transfer conveyance unit 48. can do.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the photoreceptor 10, the charger 12 for charging the surface of the photoreceptor 10, and the surface of the photoreceptor 10 charged by the charger 12 are exposed to light to form an electrostatic latent image. an optical section 14 for visualizing the electrostatic latent image using toner and forming a toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor 10; 1
The transfer conveying means is equipped with a transfer means for directly supporting and conveying the copy paper 18 using static electricity, contacting the photoreceptor 10, and transferring the toner image onto the copy paper 18. (A transfer conveyance belt 50 having a semiconductor layer formed of a semiconductor material having a resistivity of 1010 to 1013 Ωcam, a drive shaft 52 for stretching and driving the transfer conveyance belt 50, a separation shaft 54, and a transfer conveyance belt 50, the drive shaft 52, and the separation shaft 54.
0 and a transfer conveyance unit 48 having a moving substrate 61;
The copy paper 1 is configured by a No. 2 charger 58 for applying an electric charge to the transfer conveyance belt 50, and the transfer conveyance unit 48 is configured to be detachable.
The toner image on the surface of the photoconductor 10 is transferred, the copy paper 18 is separated from the photoconductor 10, and the copy paper 18 is conveyed, from when the copy paper 8 is supplied by the paper feed section 20 until it is fixed by the fixing device 38. The paper path is constituted by the transfer conveyance unit 48, which is an integrated unit, and the copy paper 18 is attracted to the transfer conveyance belt 50 by electrostatic force on the paper passage path. It becomes possible to control the behavior of the paper on the paper passing path, and it is possible to always obtain stable paper passing performance without causing disturbance of the toner image on the copy paper 18 or poor conveyance of the copy paper 18. Further, since the integrated transfer conveyance unit 48 can be made compact, the transfer conveyance unit 48 can be easily attached and detached, and maintenance efficiency such as parts replacement can be improved.

Note that the transfer conveyance belt 50 has a resistivity of 10IO to 10
Although the endless belt was made of a semiconductor material with a resistance of 13 Ωcm, it is desirable that the surface of the belt has low surface roughness, low coefficient of friction, and excellent wear resistance in order to clean adhered toner.

Therefore, the base material on the No. 2 charger 58 side was set to IQIO~1013Ω.
The surface layer on the photoreceptor 10 side is made of a material with low surface roughness, low coefficient of friction, excellent wear resistance, and higher resistivity than the base material, such as fluororesin or nylon resin. It is also possible to form a multilayer structure, and in such a case, the cleaning performance of the transfer conveyance belt 50 can be reliably improved. In addition, it is desirable to have appropriate elasticity so that strong wrinkles do not occur during drive rotation by the drive shaft 52 or the like. This is because if the rigidity is too strong and wrinkles occur, the wrinkled portion may not be able to maintain close contact with the copy paper 18. Furthermore,
In terms of running performance of the transfer conveyance belt 50, it is more preferable that the transfer conveyance belt 50 has appropriate elasticity in order to prevent meandering.

The drive shaft 52 must transmit the driving force transmitted from the drive transmission section 104 to the transfer conveyance belt 50 and drive the transfer conveyance belt 50. The driving force is transmitted through the drive shaft 52.
This is done by the frictional force between the front surface and the back surface of the transfer conveyance belt 50.

Here, in order to perform sufficient transmission, it is desirable that the surface of the drive shaft 52 has a large friction coefficient. However, the drive shaft 52
If the friction coefficient is large, the transfer conveyance belt 50 is likely to meander when a meandering force is generated. Therefore, if possible, the friction coefficient is large (,
It is desirable that the surface of the drive shaft 52 has so-called roll marks, which have a small coefficient of friction in the meandering direction. In addition, in order to make it difficult to generate meandering force as much as possible, the drive shaft 52
It is also possible to use a drum shape in which the shaft diameters at both ends are smaller than the central shaft diameter, or to use a drive shaft 52 having a plurality of drum shapes.

At least the surface of the separation shaft 54 is made of a conductive material,
Electricity is removed from the transfer conveyance belt 50 at a portion that is grounded by an earth plate spring 114 and is in contact with the transfer conveyance belt 50. Further, since the portion in contact with the transfer conveyance belt 50 is also the separation position where the copy paper 18 is separated from the transfer conveyance belt, the smaller the radius of curvature of the separation shaft 54, that is, the diameter of the separation shaft 54, the more the copy paper is removed from the transfer conveyance belt 50. 18 has good separability (although the diameter of the separation shaft 54 is 20+n+a)
If the thickness is preferably 16 mm or less, more reliable separation can be ensured.

The transfer shaft 56 contacts the transfer conveyance belt 50 immediately upstream of the transfer position where the transfer conveyance belt 50 and the photoreceptor 10 contact. The surface of the transfer shaft 56 is made of a conductive material and is grounded, so that the transfer conveyance belt 50 is neutralized immediately upstream of the transfer position, and the toner on the surface of the photoreceptor 10 is transferred to the photoreceptor 10 and the copy paper 18. The transfer conveyor belt 50
This prevents so-called toner flying, which is flying toward the charge on the copy paper 18. Further, the transfer conveyance belt 50 is connected to the photoreceptor 10.
, increasing the pressing area and pressing force between the transfer conveyance belt 50 and the photoreceptor 10, so that the copy paper 18 is pressed against the transfer conveyance belt 50.
This is used to ensure close contact between the copy paper 18 and the transfer conveyance belt 5o when the copy paper 18 is supplied between the photoconductor 10 and the photoreceptor 10. Although the transfer shaft 56 is installed upstream of the transfer position in order to ensure close contact between the copy paper 18 and the transfer conveyance belt 50, the same close contact can also be achieved by installing the transfer shaft 56 instead on the downstream side of the transfer position. It is possible to ensure sex. Furthermore, by installing it on both the upstream and downstream sides, the adhesion can be further increased.

In order to easily attach and detach the No. 2 charger 58 from the transfer conveyance unit 48, a two-wheel chair sliding type is used, but it is not necessarily necessary to attach and detach it in this manner. In addition, No. 2 charger 5
Since there is a transfer conveyance belt 50 on top of 8, the second charger 5
No. 8 is less likely to get dirty, so the No. 2 charger 58 may be completely fixed to the transfer conveyance unit 48.

Further, although the transfer conveyance belt 50 is cleaned by the blade 130 here, the blade 130 is not necessarily used to clean the transfer conveyance belt 50.
(However, it is not necessary to use any blade as long as it cleans the transfer conveyance belt 50 well. For example, the blade 1
In addition to 30, there are fur brushes and woven fabrics. Further, although the blade 130 is pressed by a spring 136 and a stopper is attached to prevent digging, it is not necessary to use the spring 136 and a stopper, and even a completely fixed type can be sufficiently cleaned. Although the method of attaching and detaching the discharge toner box 138 is a sliding type, the discharge toner box 1
This is to facilitate the processing of the toner accumulated in 38, and it is not necessarily necessary to attach or detach it. Also, the sliding attachment/detachment method does not necessarily have to be a sliding type.
Other methods such as a built-in type may be used as long as the discharge toner box 138 can be easily attached and detached. The pack pad 142 has the effect of improving cleaning performance and preventing abnormal noise, and is made of a material that does not have a very large elastic modulus, such as foamed sponge, as a base material, and the back side of the transfer conveyance belt 50 contacts and slides thereon. If the surface is made of a material with a low coefficient of friction and good wear resistance, such as fluororesin, the sliding resistance with the transfer conveyance belt 50 will be small, and very good leaning performance and noise prevention effects can be obtained. , it is not necessarily necessary because a good leaning performance can be obtained even without the pack pad 142. The back plate 144 has the effect of improving cleaning performance. In particular, if the surface on which the back surface of the transfer conveyance belt 50 contacts and slides is made of a surface with a small coefficient of friction and excellent wear resistance, such as a surface made of fluororesin, etc. Although the back plate 144 has little sliding resistance with the transfer conveyance belt 50 and can obtain very good leaning performance, it is not necessarily necessary because the back plate 144 can provide good leaning performance even without the back plate 144. The cleaning section 62 fits the groove provided on the cleaning substrate 132 into the hook provided on the transfer substrate 60, rotates the movable substrate 61, and removes the cleaning section 62 from the transfer transfer unit 48 as a stopper to prevent it from coming off. Although it is assumed that the cleaning section 62 can be easily attached and detached, it is not necessarily necessary to attach the cleaning section 62 to the transfer conveyance unit 48 using this method, and any method that allows for easy attachment and detachment may be used.

Further, the earth coil spring 110 is for earthing the transfer shaft 56, and does not necessarily have to be the earth coil spring 110 as long as it earths the transfer shaft 56.

Further, the ground plate spring 114 is for grounding the separation shaft 54, and does not necessarily need to be the ground plate spring 114 as long as it is used to ground the separation shaft 54.

Furthermore, the meandering prevention roller 154 is provided to suppress meandering when the transfer conveyance belt 50 meanders, but it is not necessarily necessary.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention provides an electrostatic latent image carrier for forming an electrostatic latent image for holding charged toner, and a charging means for imparting an electric charge to the electrostatic latent image carrier. an exposing means for exposing a document surface image to the charged electrostatic latent image carrier; a developing means for supplying charged toner to an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the document surface image; and a toner image. a transfer material supplying means for supplying a transfer material to be transferred in the direction of the electrostatic latent image carrier, and a transfer means for transferring the toner image onto the transfer material, and the transfer means is electrically connected. Resistance is 101O
an endless transfer conveyance belt having a portion made of a semiconducting material of ~IQ+3Ωcn+, a belt charging means for applying an electric charge of a polarity opposite to that of the toner to the transfer conveyance belt, and a belt charging means for driving the transfer conveyance belt. A driving means, a supporting means for integrally supporting the transfer conveyance belt and the drive means to form a transfer conveyance unit, and an urging means for urging the transfer conveyance unit against the transfer conveyance belt. The biasing means biases the transfer conveyance unit against the electrostatic latent image carrier to form a proximate portion between the transfer conveyance belt and the electrostatic latent image carrier, and in the vicinity of the proximate portion. By configuring the transfer conveyance belt to be electrically charged by the belt charging means, toner particles on the electrostatic latent image carrier are electrostatically transferred onto the transfer material, and the transfer Regarding biasing the transport unit against the latent image carrier,
It is provided with an elastic force imparting means that substantially offsets the weight of the transfer conveyance unit, and in the vicinity of the vicinity of the electrostatic latent image bearing member and the transfer conveyance belt, the belt charging means is 1010 to IQ+3 Ωcm of the transfer conveyance belt. By applying an electric charge to a portion made of a semiconductor material having an electrical resistance of The transfer material is attracted and conveyed onto the transfer conveyance belt by electrostatic attraction with the true charge of the conveyance belt. The toner transfer is performed by the belt charging means applying an electric charge to the transfer conveyance belt to a polarity opposite to that of the toner on the electrostatic latent image bearing member. That is,
The toner is attracted toward the transfer conveyance belt by the electrostatic attraction between the charges on the transfer conveyance belt and the charges on the toner, and is transferred onto the transfer material adsorbed on the transfer conveyance belt.

In addition, since the transfer material does not have a true charge and is attracted onto the transfer conveyance belt by polarized charges, there is no need to remove static electricity from the transfer material when separating the electrostatic latent image carrier from the transfer material, and in addition, the above-mentioned The electrostatic adsorption force between the transfer material and the transfer conveyance belt acts as a forcing force that separates the transfer material from the electrostatic latent image carrier, making it difficult for conventional electrophotographic devices that rely only on the rigidity of the transfer material. The separation of the transfer material is more stable compared to the conventional method.

Further, the present invention integrates various parts that perform the transfer, separation, and conveyance functions of transferring the toner image on the electrostatic latent image carrier to a transfer material, and separating and conveying the transfer material from the electrostatic latent image carrier. By using a transfer conveyance unit, the passage of the transfer material can be simplified, and the behavior of the transfer material on this transfer conveyance unit can be controlled, so that the toner image on the transfer material is not disturbed on this passage. , it is possible to always obtain stable conveyance performance without causing transfer material conveyance defects.

Furthermore, in order to bias the transfer conveyance unit against the electrostatic latent image carrier, since an elastic force imparting means is provided that substantially offsets the weight of the transfer conveyance unit, the necessary biasing force can be reduced. This allows the structure to be simplified.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of an electrophotographic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the transfer conveyance unit of this embodiment, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are details of the support portion of the transfer conveyance unit. Figure 5 is the same (schematic sectional view of the transfer conveyance unit, Figure 6 is the same).
Figure 7 is the same side view of the transfer conveyance unit, and Figure 7 is the same (
The cross-sectional view of the No. 2 charger when the device is installed, and FIG. 8 are the same (a schematic diagram of the push-up part, and FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example of a conventional electrophotographic device. 10... Photoreceptor , 12... Charger, 1
4. Old...Optical section, 16...Developer, 18...
... Copy paper, 20 ... Paper feed section, 22 ...
... Transfer charger, 24 ... Separation static eliminator, 26
...Transportation section, 28...Transportation belt, 3
゜... Drive roller, 32... Driven roller, 34... Suction section, 36... Support fixing section, 38... Fixing device , 48... Transfer conveyance unit, 5o old... Transfer conveyance belt, 52...
... Drive shaft, 54 ... Separation shaft, 56 ...
...Transfer shaft, 58...2nd charger, 6o...
...Transfer board, 61...Move board, 62.
...Cleaning section, 63 ... Push-up section, 64 ... Support substrate, 100 ... Fulcrum, 110 ... Earth coil spring, 112 ...
...Support bearing, 114...Earth plate spring,
130...Blade, 132...Cleaning board, 134...Blade lever, 1
36... Spring, 138... Discharge toner box, 140... Bad, 142...
・Back pad, 144... Back plate,
154...Meandering prevention roller, 160...
・Wire, 162...Block (1), 16
4...Block (2), 166...House, 170...Positioning spring, 178...
...Block receiver, 182...Electromagnetic plunger, 184...Pushing lever, 186...
...Push-up spring, 188...Push-up plate (1), 190...Push-up plate (2). Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person 10-
Visiting the sensor - transfer conveyance unit 50 -! i, Photo conveyance 4 belt-, Shunchu glaze 54--One minute m-axis 56-Transfer glaze 58-2 No. 1frt device 60-Teisou line geese 61-Collar kanki aim 62-Gleaning Ja 1st Fig. 63-Pushing work) f non-%-i retainer 112--spring holder-hakama layer knee* Mouth 1 part N---1 instep shift part ta2- to gutter plunge Y-184 - Push-up lever IFlb - 1 - ↑Mashinige spring Fig. 8 Fig. 9

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) An electrostatic latent image bearing member that forms an electrostatic latent image for holding charged toner, a charging means for applying an electric charge to the electrostatic latent image bearing member, and an electrostatic latent image bearing member that forms an electrostatic latent image for holding charged toner, and an electrostatic latent image bearing member that applies an electric charge to the electrostatic latent image bearing member; An exposing means for exposing an image on the document surface to an electrostatic latent image carrier, a developing means for supplying charged toner to an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image on the document surface, and a transfer material to which the toner image is transferred. It is equipped with a transfer material supply means for supplying the toner image in the direction of the electrostatic latent image carrier, and a transfer means for transferring the toner image onto the transfer material, and the transfer means has an electrical resistance of 10^1^0 to 10^1^
an endless transfer conveyance belt having a portion made of a 3 Ωcm semiconductor material; a belt charging means for applying an electric charge having a polarity opposite to that of the toner to the transfer conveyance belt;
A driving means for driving the transfer conveyance belt, a support means for integrally supporting the transfer conveyance belt and the drive means to form a transfer conveyance unit, and a support means for attaching the transfer conveyance unit to the transfer conveyance belt. and a biasing means for biasing the transfer conveyance unit against the electrostatic latent image carrier, whereby the transfer conveyance belt and the electrostatic latent image carrier are close to each other. By configuring the transfer conveyance belt to be charged by the belt charging means in the vicinity of the proximal portion, the toner particles on the electrostatic latent image carrier are electrostatically transferred onto the transfer material. Provided with an elastic force imparting means for substantially offsetting the weight of the transfer conveyance unit for transferring and biasing the transfer conveyance unit against the latent image carrier;
An electrophotographic apparatus characterized in that the urging means reduces the urging force required to urge the transfer conveyance unit. (2) The biasing means for biasing the transfer conveyance unit against the transfer conveyance belt operates in synchronization with the supply of transfer material by the transfer material supply means, and does not operate when the transfer material is not supplied. An electrophotographic apparatus according to claim (1).